


No One Quite Like You

by PhoenyxoftheAshes



Category: Final Fantasy X & Final Fantasy X-2
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:49:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24861094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenyxoftheAshes/pseuds/PhoenyxoftheAshes
Summary: Tidus discovers the truth about his connection to Shuyin, which causes an existential crisis he must overcome. He begins to question 'who am I really?', 'what am I capable of?', 'am I evil?'. Meant to be a oneshot but I do have more to the story in mind, if people are interested in me continuing.
Relationships: Shuyin (Final Fantasy X-2)/Tidus (Final Fantasy X), Tidus/Yuna (Final Fantasy X & X-2)
Kudos: 9





	No One Quite Like You

“I want to hear everything!” 

Yuna smiled as she ran with her returned lover, “Well, it all began when I saw this sphere of you…” Yuna and Tidus continued running to the shore; feeling the water splashing against the back of their legs as they ran, with Yuna leading the way (much to Tidus’ surprise). 

Tidus marveled at how much the former summoner had changed. She seemed more assertive, outgoing, and adventurous. As if Rikku had a huge influence over her the past two years. Her outfit was very…uh, revealing to say the least. And she was brandishing guns!! 

‘How in the heck did this happen?? What EXACTLY did I miss while I was gone?’ Tidus thought to himself as they reached the shore. 

Tidus looked towards the red haired blitzer who had become one of his best friends in this foreign world of Spira. The man, who had noticeably put on some weight since Tidus last saw him, was walking over to the couple. He placed his hand out for Tidus to shake, to which Tidus reached out to return. The red headed man grabbed Tidus by the head instead and placed him in a chokehold. “Where the hell you been, ya?”, the red headed man teased. 

“Wakka!! AGGHHH. Knock it off!!!” Tidus exclaimed, as he was trying to break free from Wakka’s chokehold. Wakka released Tidus' head from his grip and laughed. Yuna giggled behind them as well. Tidus mock punched Wakka on the shoulder in response. This prompted a mock boxing match between the two blitzers; an activity Wakka and Tidus would often engage in during Yuna’s pilgrimage. After a few seconds of goofing off, Wakka genuinely hugged Tidus out of joy that he returned. Tidus then turned his attention towards Lulu, the black mage from Yuna’s pilgrimage. He noticed she was carrying a baby in her arms. Tidus raised an eyebrow and tilted his head to the side in a quizzical, humorous fashion. 

Lulu shook her head and scoffed. “I don’t want to hear it.” 

Tidus looked from her to Wakka and laughed. “Uhhhh...what have you two been up to?” 

Lulu rolled her eyes. “Be careful.” She warned. 

Lulu knew where he was going with the conversation. Two years ago, while visiting the Farplane Tidus made a comment that she could potentially hook up with Wakka. “What, me? With Wakka?” Lulu sneered. She couldn’t see herself with Wakka then. Perhaps because she was still holding on to Chappu at the time. The notion of being with Wakka seemed silly. But here she was, two years later, married to him and with their newly born son in her arms. 

“So... I was right then?” Tidus teased. 

“Watch yourself, or else I’ll throw a Thundaga spell at you.” 

Tidus playfully backed off as if he was afraid of her. In truth, they both knew the conversation was lighthearted and fun. It was Lulu’s way of showing her happiness for his return. 

“So, the sphere did lead to him, even if he wasn’t the man in the sphere?” Lulu turned her attention to Yuna. 

Tidus interjected, “what sphere?” 

“TIIIIDUUUUSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!” The group heard a shriek coming from the ocean. Rikku and Paine had finally caught up to the shore. Rikku came running and nearly tackled Tidus in excitement. Tidus laughed and hugged the blonde Al Bhed girl. Paine stood back near the water, further away from the group. It seems she was keeping her distance, which wasn’t out of the ordinary for Paine. She was a private, secluded person. She preferred watching from a distance to make sure she can observe everything that happens. 

“I’m so happy you’re back!! I told you we’d see you again!!” Rikku giggled. 

“Yeah, you did!” Tidus responded. With time, more of the village came to greet Tidus and welcome him home. Yuna observed with a very big smile on her face. ‘This is actually happening. I cannot believe it. He’s back,’ she thought to herself. 

Tidus glanced towards the girl in black with silver hair, noting that he had not yet been introduced to her. He didn’t recognize her from two years ago. He turned to Rikku, “Your friend?” 

“Yep yep!” Rikku responded. “This is Paine!” 

Rikku ran to the third member of the Gullwings and dragged her over to Tidus. Paine grunted in frustration at Rikku’s lack of respect for the personal space of others. She rolled her eyes and walked closer to Tidus. She seemed a bit nervous. This is something Tidus noted but didn’t understand why. ‘Maybe she’s really shy?’ he pondered. 

Tidus extended his hand out to her and flashed a huge smile. “Hiya! I’m Tidus”. 

His smile and friendly demeanor calmed her down. He seemed kind and gentle natured. Very unlike the man he reminded her of, which was the cause of her apprehension. “Nice to meet you. My name is Paine.” Paine scanned his figure from head to toe. He really did look like him, but personality wise? Very different. “So, you’re the one we searched all of Spira for?” 

Tidus scratched the back of his head, “Uhhh.” Tidus seemed a little confused as to what she meant. 

Yuna interjected, “When we found this sphere of you -” 

“I FOUND THE SPHERE!” Rikku exclaimed. “ ...well, actually Kimhari did.” 

Yuna let out a light laugh, “Yeah. So, when Rikku brought me the sphere Kimhari found, and we saw an image of a man that looked just like you, we began a journey to find more spheres like it. In hopes of finding you”. Yuna explained with a smile. 

Tidus still looked a bit confused, with his face scrunched up. “So, it wasn’t a sphere of me?” 

Yuna shook her head. “No. I couldn’t say for sure at the time. He had your face and voice.” 

“He had my face?? Well that’s creepy.” Tidus was looking increasingly more uncomfortable. 

Lulu noticed that Tidus was continuing to look confused. She considered what could possibly help him to understand. ‘Maybe showing him the actual sphere may help? Or it may further upset him.’ Lulu looked towards Yuna and motioned her to come to a space away from the group to ask her a question in private. Yuna noticed her gesture and excused herself from the group. She walked to where Lulu had led. 

“Do you think that maybe showing him the sphere will help him?” Lulu asked. 

“Hmm.” Yuna paused to consider the option. “Maybe it will?” The women turned to the group. “Would you like to see the sphere?” Yuna asked Tidus. 

“Yeah, why not?” Tidus responded. 

The group walked towards the town, sharing memories and stories of their journey along the way. When they reached the tents and houses camped outside the temple, Yuna took a seat near the firepit. Tidus took a spot next to her with Rikku, Wakka and Lulu nearby. Paine seemed to have followed them to the town but chose to stand by the outskirts. Yuna took the reddish/orange sphere out of her bag and held it in her hands for Tidus to watch. The sphere showed the image of a man locked in a cage. 

“No! I’m not sorry! I haven’t done anything wrong.” The man screamed in frustration. “I know you’re listening. If she was your girl, what would you do?” 

The man’s anger was building. The groups could feel the tension in the air from watching the movie sphere. It was almost as though they could empathically feel the despair the man had felt. “How can you blame me for trying to use your weapon?? It was the only way I could save the summoner. What would you do if you were me?”. The man grabbed the bars and shook them, screaming in anger and frustration. 

“LET ME OUT!!” His voice was breaking, “I...I want to see her!” 

Yuna’s heart broke all over again. She really felt empathy for Shuyin. She knows what it’s like to lose the one she loves. She saw from her guardians what it was like to protect the summoner at all cost (which is the code of the guardian). She understands his thought process, and why he chose to do what he did. He was desperate. He didn’t want his love to die. Two years ago, Tidus was also desperate, and he sacrificed himself to prevent Yuna from dying. When she first saw the sphere, she thought the man was Tidus. When she found out he wasn’t Tidus, she still saw a bit of Tidus and his personality in Shuyin’s image. Not just the face and the voice; but the determination to save his love. 

Yuna stole a glance towards Tidus. She studied his face. He was studying the sphere contents with a look of curiosity and confusion. ‘I wonder if it’s like looking in a mirror for him’ Yuna thought. ‘That must be a weird feeling.’ 

The group remained silent for about half a minute before the first person spoke up, which was Lulu. “That’s the sphere that started her journey to find you.” she explained. 

Tidus did not say anything. He seemed to be deep in thought. Yuna did not break her concentration from him. She continued to study him to gage his reaction. ‘Maybe showing it was a bad idea?’ 

Yuna became concerned by the young man’s silence. He was typically a chatty, happy-go-lucky, extroverted and cheerful guy. He was not the silent type. “Tidus, are you okay?” Yuna had broken the silence to ask him 

“I think so?” He responded. “I don’t know. I’m kind of confused. Why does he look like me? Who is he?” 

Yuna explained the story of Shuyin and Lenne to Tidus. How they were a couple, a summoner and a guardian, who lived 1,000 years ago in Zanarkand. They lived during the Machina War, and Lenne was to go to the front lines of the war as a summoner. Shuyin did not want Lenne to die, which she very likely would have, so he attempted to steal Bevelle’s mega-machina weapon to attack Bevelle and ultimately end the war. Lenne did not want Shuyin to do this, because she did not want more violence. She did not want innocent people to die. She did not want Shuyin to die, which likely would have happened in the blast; and there was a chance he could lose control of the weapon and end up destroying more than just Bevelle...it was just too risky. 

“He lived in Zanarkand?” Tidus interrupted. Tidus himself was from Dream Zanarkand, a recreation of the real Zanarkand which was created 1000 years ago in memory of the people who lived in the city. It was the Zanarkand resident’s way of keeping the city alive, even if it was being preserved in just a dream. Tidus thought of the conversation he had with the Fayth of Bahamut. He described how the survivors of the Machina War became Fayth to summon all the people and the buildings which resided in the real Zanarkand. 

“The people? What? They’re just dreams?” Tidus questioned the Fayth. “Me...too?” 

“Yes, you are a dream of the Fayth” Bahamut affirmed. 

Tidus’ heart jumped into his throat. ‘Wait...I’m a dream of the Fayth...of someone who lived in Zanarkand...is this me?? Am I based on him? Who am I?’ 

“Tidus? What is wrong?” Yuna asked after she noticed his eyes widening, as if he was coming to a revelation. 

“I think...I’m him”. Tidus replied. The group remained silent. He said the one thing they all suspected. Lulu, Wakka, and Rikku were told by Yuna that Tidus was a dream of the Fayth, one of many dreams created to restore Zanarkand to its former glory in an illusory form. When Yuna informed Lulu that the man in the sphere wasn’t him, and she told her his story, Lulu came to the same conclusion. Yuna discussed how the old scholar, Maechen told her that the uncanny likeness between them is not coincidental. There’s a connection. It didn’t take long for Yuna and Lulu to connect the dots. Yuna shared her theory with Rikku, and Lulu shared it with Wakka. Tidus now came to the same conclusion. 

Yuna pondered how they could get clarification on the matter. She remembered that Maechen wanted to ask Tidus what the connection was, to clear the matter up once and for all. But it seems even Tidus doesn’t know the answer. ‘But there may be someone who does...the Fayth of Bahamut.’ 

“Do you think the Fayth may know?” She asked Tidus. Tidus gave a reply stating that if anyone would know, it would be the Fayth of Bahamut. Yuna and Tidus had resolved to ask him, but how could they do that? The Farplane was still being worked on, now that the Guado had returned to Guadosalam. Bevelle was currently inaccessible due to construction. So, there was no way of gaining access to the chamber or the Fayth. Their best bet was to wait until one of the two became available, but even then: was there any guarantee the Fayth of Bahamut would answer? 

The group had decided it was best to wait. Until then, Tidus wished to take a trip around all the sites of their journey together. Yuna used it as an opportunity to catch Tidus up on everything happening in Spira. Tidus learned about the events of the last two years, the creation of the three new major groups of Spira – New Yevon, The Youth League, and the Machine Faction. He learned about the leaders of said groups: Baralai, Nooj, and Gippal, respectively. The subject of Shuyin returned while discussing the possessions, Vegnagun, and the near destruction of Spira. This, naturally, made Tidus even more uncomfortable than he was before regarding this man that was the spitting image of him. 

The group had travelled to various parts of Spira. Yuna was especially excited to show the new Kilika port to Tidus. Tidus was shocked to see the new and improved town. It was gorgeous! The last time he remembered seeing it, it was a pile of rubble. This new layout of Kilika was very well built and well designed. Tidus also got the chance to revisit Luca, the Mi'ihen Highroad, the Mushroom Rock Road, Djose, the Moonflow (which they got to spend the night watching the Pyreflies – just as Tidus wanted to do after Yuna’s journey), Guadosalam, Macalania, Mt. Gagazet (in which Tidus reunited with the very happy – but in a calm way – Ronso named Kimhari), The Thunder Plains (where Tidus was ecstatic he no longer had to doge lightning bolts), and Zanarkand (where Tidus and Yuna discussed the implications of Tidus still being a dream). Tidus had the chance to meet Gippal while in Djose. Gippal had a similar reaction to Tidus that Paine had – shocked, then nervous, then calmed down once Tidus displayed his happy-go-lucky personality. The group did not get the chance to meet with Nooj – as he was too busy with meetings and was not seeing anyone. They did not meet with Baralai either, since they skipped over their trip to Bevelle. It was under construction, and Tidus wasn’t exactly thrilled by the idea of going to Bevelle anyway, all things considered. 

It took about one month for the Farplane Glen to be fixed and open to visitors, thanks to the Guado. During that month, Tidus and Yuna had spent time together in blissful reunion. Rikku had returned to doing random missions, Paine had decided to continue exploring Spira, Kimhari was still on Mt. Gagazet, and Wakka and Lulu continued raising baby Vidina. Life was finally peaceful for the group. But despite being in a honeymoon lifestyle with Yuna, spending all their days together; totally in love, he still felt an anxiety in the pit of his stomach each time he thought of that sphere. He felt as though he didn’t know himself – or what he was. He was experiencing an existential crisis which he has never experienced before – ‘why do I exist? Who am I... really? What is my life purpose? Am I capable of doing the things Shuyin had once done? Are we essentially the same person? What if I end up trying to destroy the world?’ 

Upon discussing the matter again, Yuna and Tidus set out for Guadosalam’s Farplane Glen to summon the Fayth of Bahamut. 

When they arrived, Tidus was a bit unsure about entering the Farplane, for fear of his Pyreflies being released and him fading away. His fears were unfounded, though, when he was able to cross the veil into the Glen without trouble. ‘I guess that was a silly fear to have, even as a dream, I was able to visit the Farplane before.’ 

Yuna and Tidus were the only two people in the Farplane Glen. Yuna looked to the beautiful landscape that extended beyond the Glen. She watched the dancing Pyreflies gliding through the air. She took in the majesty of the lifeblood of the planet they were living on. She knew she would have to think of the Fayth for his illusion to come, but would he – the real Fayth of the Bahamut – come to talk with them? Or will it be just a lifeless image staring back at them? She put the idea to the test by not only thinking of the Fayth of Bahamut, but by praying to him; just like she had done two years ago. The image of the Fayth appeared before them, and to their delight; he began to speak. 

“Lady Yuna.” The Fayth of Bahamut smiled. “Sir Tidus.” 

“Hello”, Yuna replied with a friendly tone and smile. 

“You wish to speak with me?” 

Yuna nodded her head. “Yes, we wish to ask you about Tidus being a dream...” 

“Don’t worry.” The Fayth started with a smile, “as long as we are willing to dream, Tidus will remain real. He won’t fade away...unless he were to do something which would result in his death. Anything short of that, he will live as long as you do, Lady Yuna”. 

“Oh - well that’s wonderful to hear, and that does answer another question we have; but that’s not what we wanted to know” Yuna started. “We already have come to terms of Tidus being a dream. We will cherish the time we have together. But we wanted to know if...if, well, Tidus is a dream version of anyone from Zanarkand.” 

The Fayth’s smile disappeared. “Why would you like to know?” 

Tidus kept his gaze downward. Having now known what Shuyin had done to this Fayth, to everyone, was too much for Tidus to bear. If he was a copy of someone like that… then what does that say about him? Is he prone to a dark path like Shuyin was? 

“Because I want to know who I am.” 

“You are Tidus” the Fayth replied. 

“No… that’s not what I mean” Tidus sighed. “I want to know who I am based on.” 

The Fayth remained silent for several seconds, contemplating his options of responses. “Who you are based on only gives you a certain… personality and life story. What you do with that story is up to you. You are your own person. This is your own story, no one else’s.” 

The Fayth paused and studied Tidus and Yuna. It seemed this was not a satisfactory answer for Tidus. 

“You are based on Shuyin.” The Fayth finally answered. Tidus tensed up and continued to cast his gaze downward. 

Tidus let out a defeated sigh. “So, I’m evil then.” 

“No! What makes you say that?” The Fayth questioned 

“Look at what he did – look at what I am capable of doing…” 

The Fayth shook his head. “Under specific circumstances and conditions, everyone is capable of doing evil.” He paused to consider his words. “You’re no more prone to the possibility of committing evil acts than I am, or Yuna is.” The Fayth paused again. “Like I said before, you are your own person. Though your face and voice and tendencies are based on him, ultimately you are still two different people. You are the one in charge of your destiny.” 

“Thank you for your help, Bahamut”. Yuna responded to the Fayth. 

The Fayth of Bahamut nodded a final greeting to them and then faded away in a swirl of Pyreflies. Yuna turned her attention to Tidus. She walked up to him and hugged him. 

“No matter what, you’ll always be my star player of the Zanarkand Abes. My guardian. And my hero”. She placed a kiss on his cheek. 

Tidus smiled and placed her eyes on her. He stared into her mismatched colored eyes with longing and love. “I know. I love you, Yuna.” 

“I love you too.” She replied. “And he’s right. You are ultimately Tidus. No one else. This is your story to shape, right?” 

“No” Tidus replied. “This is our story to shape.” 

Yuna smiled at Tidus. “No matter what, I’ll be here for you. I know you are a good person. There isn’t an evil bone in your body.” 

Tidus nodded, accepting the words she was saying. He hugged her in return. “Let’s go home.” 

He may be uncomfortable knowing the circumstances of his existence, but he began to think…so long as he has Yuna, everything was going to be okay. 

Yuna held Tidus’ hand and smiled towards him, “I’m so lucky to have you...to have you back with me. There is no one quite like you.” 

The pair returned to the airship to make their return to the island of Besaid.


End file.
